Millwall Community Trust helps Muslim Aid winter campaign to feed 35,000 Londoners

Millwall Community Trust is working with London-based charity Muslim Aid to distribute food to those in need this winter.

Over the next few weeks Muslim Aid, which is now in its 35th year, will be delivering 35,000 meals to 35 locations, including all 32 boroughs of London.

Millwall Community Trust will be one of the centres that Muslim Aid will deliver food to for distribution.

The charity aims to deliver approximately 15 tonnes of food by the end of the month with Muslim Aid volunteers packing, preparing, and distributing the food, in line with social distancing guidelines.

Kashif Shabir, Muslim Aid CEO, said: “Over its 35 years existence, Muslim Aid has been committed to delivering aid all over the world, but We recognise the difficulties people have faced at home here in the UK this year due to the pandemic and we are working hard to support fragile communities.

“Through this initiative, we will reach thousands of people in the UK and make sure that they have food on their tables.

“What makes this project even better is that the food comes from a sustainable source, making use of the abundance of surplus food available, while ensuring that people have access to fresh and nutritious meals this winter.”

The project will be implemented in partnership with the Felix Project, a London-based charity that collects surplus food and distributes it to people in need.

Muslim Aid will be also be working in partnership with The Atrium and Can Hall Mosque which will also be providing some of the food.

The meals will vary from location to location, as they will be tailored to the preferences of the recipients with low-income households, homeless, single parents, asylum seekers and refugees all prioritised.

Food will be delivered in 35 locations, including the 32 boroughs of London, (as well as St Albans, Watford and Luton) and the meals will consist of food such as chicken pasta, and curry and rice, with plenty of fresh vegetables and water.

All food will be sourced from the surplus from UK suppliers, making the project sustainable by redistributing food that would otherwise have gone to waste.

According to Muslim Aid the UK food industry generates nearly 2 million tonnes of edible surplus food each year.

More than 1.9 million people access food banks in the UK, with this number predicted to rise to 2.4 million by the end of this month due to the severe financial pressures families have faced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

In London alone, 1.5 million adults struggle to afford to eat every day and 400,000 children are at risk of missing their next meal.

Pictured: Muslim Aid workers Farhal Ahmad (Community Officer), Ahmed Choudhury (Volunteers Officer) and Yusuf Kalam (Community & Fundraising Manager)